Smoky Mushroom Stew

This easy stew is great to batch cook and freeze for a quick weekday meal and uses seasonal winter vegetables. A delicious, warming dish, that if you use shiitake mushrooms has a really meaty quality to it.

Makes: 2-4 dishes

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

650ml of mushroom/vegetable stock

200g of pearled barley or buckwheat

400g of mixed mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon chopped flat- leaf parsley

1/2 lemon grated

1/2 lemon for squeezing

Black pepper

200ml of tomato passata

3 tablespoons of sweet Marsala

2 tablespoons of Rubies in the Rubble Chipotle sauce.

1 pinch of light brown sugar

In a large pan, bring the stock to boil and add the barley or buckwheat.

Cook for 20-25 minutes until tender ( slightly less if using Buckwheat), adding some water if the stock starts to evaporate before the grains are cooked. Set aside to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a lidded pan and add the mushroom, chopped parsley and lemon zest. Reduce the heat, co ver and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn up the heat, add the marsala and let it bubble for a few moments then reduce the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add the passata, chipotle sauce and sugar. Add passata as necessary.

Stir in the squeeze of lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper

Spoon the barley or buckwheat into serving bowls, top with the stew and sprinkle with any leftover parsley.